Testing device for tennis-balls



R. s. BLAIR TESTING DEVICE FOR TENNIS BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, I9I6.

Patented Mar. 36,1920.

' 5 of concave er sion.

ROBERT S. BLAIR, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TESTING DEVICE FDR TENNIS-BALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ria 30, 1920,

Application filed February 23, 1916. Serial No. 79,901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, andresident of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TestingDevices for Tennis-Balls, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to testing devices for tennis balls and the like.One of the objects thereof is to provide a simple and practical deviceof the above nature of reliable and efficient action. Another object isto provide a device of the above nature, which may be rapidly andconveniently manipulated. Another object is to provide a device of theabove nature in which the balls are automatically assorted in accordancewith their condition. Other objects will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will beexemplified by the structure hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying I shown one of various possible embodiments of theinvention:

Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4: isa cross sectiontaken along the line AA of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now to 3 of the drawing there is shown a casing, comprisingthe side walls 1 and 2 and the bottom 3. p This casing is preferablyformed of sheet metal. At one end of the casing an extension 4,preferably branching laterally from the sidewall 1, terminates in theball holder or support form and upwardly inclined toward the body of thecasing. This holder is provided with integral lugs 6 adapted to supportthe ball, as for example a tennis ball 7, in a position with its rearlower portion 8 exposed as shown. Mounted at the rear of the ball inthis position is a fiat spring 9 secured to the casing at 10 rigidly inposidrawing in which is tion at its lower end. This spring normallyoccupies a position in which it substantially contactswithout pressurethe rear surface 8 of the ball and its projecting upper edge permits itto be drawn rearwardly away from the ball to the position indicated indotted lines in Fig.1 of the drawing in which it engages the stop 11,which may be an integral extension from the portion 4.

In the body of the casing there are provided a plurality of successivecompartments 12 here shown as seven in number. These compartments arepreferably formed by looping a section of netting, such as ten nisnetting, into pockets and it may be noted that the dimension of thesepockets in the direction lengthwise of the casing is short relative totheir depth and width and. in this manner accuracy of action, ashereinafter described, is attained and yet the capacity of the pocketsmaintained large. The pockets are preferably separated by stretching thenet crosswise of the casing over the lugs 13 integral with the sidewalls. The stretched portions of the net, as at 14 in Fig. 4 of thedrawing, are not tight but are preferably loose and hang downwardly to aslight extent in order to avoid a rebounding surface for the balls.

Along the upper edge of one of the side gu 1 is a Section along B fwalls, as at wall 1, there 1s preferably formed a scale 15 which may besighted across in order to enhance the accuracy of the device. p

In the use of this apparatus a ball to be tested is placed in theposition indicated at 7 and the spring 9 drawn back until it engageswith the stop 11, and released. It thereupon snaps forward and subjectsthe ball to a definite impact, and it may here be noted that althoughthis impact in this device is gained by releasing a resilient member,the broader features of this invention comprehend apparatus in which theball is subjected to impact, or made to rebound, by other means. It mayalso be noted that the device is not limited to use in connection withtennis balls, as, for example, golf balls may likewise be tested andthat particularly for use with golf balls it is desirable to have on theupper end of the spring 9a weight 16 to give a hammerlike effect.

When a ball. is subjected to impact it rebounds forwardly as along thedotted line 17 and the extent of travel or this rebound with a constantimpact is substantially pro portional to the resilience or playingcondition of the ball. For eXample, if a ball is in good condition itwill drop in one of the extreme pockets 12, whereas if its condition isnot so good it will drop in a pocket nearer to its starting point. Thespring device and its travel are so proportioned that a ball inextremely poor condition will fall in the nearest pocket to its startingpoint and a ball in the best of condition to the most remote pocket, andballs in intermediate condition into pockets which are remote inproportion to the condition of the balls. It is to be noted that a golfball will require a different point and degree of impact from a tennisball and the. weight 16 may be slotted and slidably fitted over the endof the spring so that it can be used with golf balls and removed intesting tennis balls. The device is preferably mounted in inclinedposition, the horizontal being indicated by line 18. V

In the use of the above apparatus a series of balls are placed one afteranother in the holder 5 and subjected to impact and they areautomatically assorted into various pockets in accordance with theircondition. If the condition is to be more closely determined the travelof the balls may be gaged by sighting across the scale 15 and this scalemay be used to the exclusion of the pockets as an indicating meansalthough decided advantages result from the use of the pockets. It willthus be seen that apparatus is provided in which the several objects ofthis invention are achieved. 7

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the construction above describedit is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be inter preted, as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having described this invention, I claim:

1. In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a succession of balls to impact in the same direction, and a'plurality oi receptacles serially arranged in the direction in whichsaid balls travel from said impact and adapted respectively to receiveballs having different degrees of resilience.

2 In a testing device for balls, in combinatlon, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to a uniform degree of impact, means adaptedto receive said balls and measure the reaction thereof from said impact.

3. In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to impact of a substantially constant degree,and means adapted to receive and automatically assort said balls intothree or more groups in accordance with their reaction from said impact.

4. In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to impact of a substantially constant degree,and means adapted to receive and automatically assert said balls inaccordance with their reaction from said impact, said means comprising aseries of compartments with yielding dividing means between and arrangedsubstantially in the direction in which the balls travel after impact.

5. Ina testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to impact of a substantially constant degreeand means adapted to receive said balls substantially at their maximumrange from said impact and prevent their return.

-6 In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a ball to impact, a series of compartments arranged in thedirection in which said ball is thrown by said impact, each of saidcompartments being open to receive the ball and said compartments havingdimensions in a plane transverse to the line of rebound of the ballwhich is greaterthan the length of their openings in said direction.

7 I11 a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject the balls to impact and a receiving device for said balls afterimpact comprising a series of compartments arranged serially in thedirection of rebound of the balls and separated one from another bynetting.

8. In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to a substantially constant degree of impactand a receiving device formed of netting looped into pockets seriallydisposed in the direction of the rebound of said balls.

9. In a testing device for balls, in combination, means adapted tosubject a series of balls to a substantially constant degree of impactand a receiving device upwardly inclined from, the point at which saidballs are subjected to impact and comprising a series of pocketsarranged in the direction of the rebound of the balls.

10. In a testing device for balls, in com bination, means adapted tosupport the balls, a resilient member, means adapted to cause saidresilient member to strike each ball with a predetermined degree ofimpact and means adapted to measure the rebound of said balls from saidimpact.

11. In a testing device for balls, in com bination, a support for theballs, a spring arranged to be snapped toward said balls, a stoplimiting the retraction of said spring and means adapted to measure thereaction of said balls as said spring is snapped against the same. i

12. In a testing device for balls, in combination, a support for theballs, a spring arranged to be snapped toward said balls, a stoplimiting the retraction of said spring and means adapted to measure thereaction of said balls as said spring is snapped against the same, saidlast means comprising a plurality of compartments arranged in series inthe direction of travel of said balls.

13. In a testing device for balls, in combination, a support for theballs a spring arranged to be snapped toward said balls, a stop limitingthe retraction of said spring and means adapted to measure the reactionof said balls as said spring is snapped against the same, said lastmeans comprising a net looped into a series of pockets serially arrangedin the direction of travel of said balls.

14:. In a testing device for balls, in combination, a sheet metal membercomprising a bottom and side walls and a ball support, a net looped intopockets serially arranged lengthwise of said metal member between saidside walls a flat spring positioned to be snapped lengthwise of saidmetal member into engagement With balls upon said support and a stoplimiting theamount of retraction of said spring.

Signed at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,this 12th day of February, A. D. 1916. I

ROBERT S. BLAIR.

